Caged Birds
by mayemerald9
Summary: They were never normal. Always different, and trapped in cages. One unsocial and one exactly opposite, but even their quirks couldn't explain how they got into the Attack on Titan universe... Now Victoria Drake is at the same level as Humanity's Strongest, and Melanie Wolfgang suffers the Shifter's 'condition.' It seems they traded one cage for another. How will they survive?
1. It's a Small World

**Author's Note:**

* * *

_"Beep... Beep... Beep..."_  
_"Hello. This is Victoria Drake, and if you're trying to sell me something, hang up immediately or suffer the consequences. If not, please leave me a message after the tone and I'll get back to you when I feel like it. Thanks."_  
_**"BOOOOOOP."**_  
I stifle my tears and take a deep breath.  
"Hey, Vee. It's Melanie. Again."  
"I just needed to talk to someone. Hope you don't mind. Anyway, it's pretty hard to believe you've been gone so long; it feels like I was just 9 yesterday and we were curled up in the corner of your room, marathoning Black Butler for the third, the twelfth, the eightieth time, whichever. Look, I-"  
**CRASH!**  
The power goes off, as well as my charging phone.  
I am broken; I am weak.  
It's been four years since my cousin Victoria vanished. And I'm still not over it, not at all. She understood me like no one else could. She wiped my tears when no one else would. I curl up into a ball for a few minutes, listening to the strange harmony of my sobs mixing with the rain.  
Glancing once more back at the black screen, I drop the old Android and shoot up to look out the window. Lightning seems to have claimed something relatively nearby, considering the smoke clouds slowly but steadily forming in the sky. I normally adore thunderstorms, but that was plain rude. My empty driveway catches my eye for a moment; my parents aren't home. Seizing my opportunity, I throw my window open. Cold raindrops splatter on my face, barely distinguishable from my tears. "That was **UNCALLED** for!" I shout like the dork I am. I stare triumphantly at the clouds for a moment before they light up again, unleashing a bolt of lightning just across the street. I yelp and shut the window. What kind of storm is this? To respond so quickly to heckling... My eyes widen.  
_Walpursinaght._ **(*)**  
Next thing I know, I'm grabbing my custom soul gem necklace (off-white in the center with silver accents, If you're wondering), putting it on, and running outside. I always thought I could be a decent Puella Magi if I was given the chance. The trees sway in the wind as I run down to the sidewalk. I just need a Kyubey now. How do you summon a Kyubey? Dream of running through a forest? No, that's Claude. Ugh. I stare down at my shaky hands, my eyes sliding down each finger until landing on... Of course! I raise my hand up to my mouth and sink my teeth into the base of my thumb.  
Only as the lightning strikes me do I remember that that was what Eren Jaeger did to activate his shifting powers. That, and you don't summon Kyubies.

**-~{&}~-**

"Do you think she'll live?" A youthful voice.  
"Yes. Her wounds aren't too severe." A wise voice.  
"You sure?"  
"Positive."  
I open my eyes slowly. An elderly man with a gentle face seems to be wrapping a bandage around my head. Come to think of it, my forehead does hurt a bit. I raise my hand to it, but the man pushes it away, muttering, "Just hold on a second." The younger voice pipes up again. "Is she awake?" The man nods before taking a step back. I look over at the place the other voice seemed to be originating from. Wait, is that-  
"Hi, I'm Armin. Can you tell us who you are?"  
No freaking way.  
Armin Arlert in the flesh.  
He stares at me inquisitively with his blue eyes; his dark eyebrows contrasts harshly with his fair skin and blond hair. How can it be him? It can't be cosplay, can it?  
"Hey, are you okay?" His voice cuts through my thoughts.  
"Uh, no, I'm Melanie Wolfgang," I mutter, "and is that your exact name? Like on your birth certificate?" His expression changed to one of confusion as he replied, "Why would I give you an alias?" I feel a huge grin spread on my face. "Awesome."  
And then I vault the window, landing directly onto my face.  
I feel pain surge through my veins along with shock. "Not a dream, not a dream," I hiss as I roll over onto my back. Blood trickles down my cheek from a cut below my eye. This is real.  
Too real.  
I hear a door slam shut. Footsteps follow with Armin's cracking voice, "What do you think you're doing?!" Great: people don't regularly hurl themselves out of windows in this universe. Play it cool, Mel. I point a shaky hand to the horizon. "I couldn't tell if that was Wall Maria or Wall Sina, and I thought if I got closer, I would know." Armin, blinking quickly, seemed very confused about my logic. Could he be questioning my motive? I have to distract him somehow. "I have family in the interior," I stated, "and I visit them occasionally. I get confused about my relative location. Like, a lot." His expression cleared up. "We're in Wall Maria." "Aaaah." Before episode one, I guess. I stood up and dusted off my clothes. There was a huge group of people gathering by the streets. "Are the Survey Corps returning?" I ask, turning to Armin. He nods. "I bet my mom'll be there; she hates them." I took off running before he could reply.  
I had to push and shove people out of the way, but I made my way to the street. There, the Scouting Legion was marching through the city, and it was a mess. The sound of a cello boomed from no distinct place. Who the hell is playing a cello? I got there just in time to see Levi Ackerman scowling at pretty much everything. Or was his face just stuck like that? Anyway, his gray eyes darted back and forth, scanning faces in the crowd silently from his horse. Next to him was Hanji Zoe, a girl with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail and thick black glasses. She held reins to two horses: the one she rode and a lone one that trailed behind her. At first I assumed that its rider had gone MIA, but she ran up and mounted it. She had the most peculiar hair, black, but turning purple in the sunlight, and-  
Wait.  
"Vee?!"

* * *

**;; Author's Note ;;** Sike. Guess who's working to co-author this rather than continuing her Kuroshitsuji/Kingdom Hearts fic?  
_/cough fangirlshippingservice cough/_  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Reviews are much appreciated. Have nice day uwu

**(*)** For those of you who don't watch, Walpurgisnaght is a reference to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, NOT the satanic holiday celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Church of Satan. Just thought you might like to know. Please don't be offended ^^


	2. How Had This Happened?

**Thank you for all follows, favorites, and reviews!  
~May**

* * *

**Victoria's POV**

I stared straight ahead, there was no way. There was no way on earth I could be hearing that sound again, not after everything that'd happened. It had been four years, four godforsaken years since the lone cello ringtone had played, or any ringtone for that matter.  
Slowly, I reached into the pocket sewn inside my military jacket, pulling out my old iPhone 5.  
And I cried.  
Tears fell slowly and silently as I looked on at the screen, two faces squashed together and smiling in the picture, Melanie Wolfgang and myself at ages 9 and 15. My breath hitched, I couldn't move. Reaching up, I caught the tears sliding down my cheeks, holding my hand in front of me and staring at the tiny droplets. Only Melanie could ever evoke such a reaction from me, and the mere thought made me give a smile.  
But still, it was impossible. Completely, utterly impossible.  
The call ended before I could even think to accept it, revealing something that had not been there the night before.

_Melanie: 204 new messages_  
_117 missed calls_  
_117 voicemails_

The screen closed barely a second after I'd finished reading, and I slipped the phone back into my pocket, slumping foreword on my horse.  
How had this happened?

·«·V·»·

_How had this happened?_  
Somehow I had been convinced- more like commanded- to participate in the annual activity known commonly as 'trick-or-treating', despite my constant claim of not understanding the purpose or the point of it all.  
Melanie had set out several choices for costumes, all handmade based on different things she was currently obsessed with. There was a butler's uniform, a frightful pink dress that easily could have been mistaken for a cupcake, and an outfit made up of a brown jacket, white pants, and numerous leather straps; the Survey Corps uniform from Attack on Titan.  
The choice was obvious; I would prefer not to perform every menial task Melanie had prepared in case I _did_ choose the butler uniform- don't underestimate her. I would need to BURN the pink monstrosity when the night was over, Mel had probably just put it there to spite me. And over all, Attack on Titan was a good show, setting aside the fact that someone was eaten in almost every episode.  
After changing into the complex straps, I gave myself a once-over in the mirror.  
I was short for my age, 5'3" at 15 years old. The costume was immaculate, courtesy of Melanie, the actual clothing fitting loosely where it needed to, the straps tight enough to stay in place. My green eyes were hidden behind my dark fringe, and the rest of my hair hanging loosely past my shoulder blades. In the dim lights my hair appeared pitch black, but I knew if I was in the sun it would shimmer purple, like bird feathers. Approving the look, I turned back to the bed and sighed; next came the maneuver gear.  
Melanie had gone all-out, painting every detail on what I guessed were old food crates- unfortunately, the the bulk of it all would put at least fifteen pounds of pressure on my waist, and the sword hilts would have to be carried around all night long. The task of physically putting the gear on took another ten minutes, though I probably could have cut that time in half if I'd just asked for help.  
I scoffed at myself, bringing the hilt of one blade up to eye level, _like that was ever going to happen._  
"How long did it take her to make this?" I mumbled, the details on one sword alone look like they would have taken days.  
Dropping my arm and sighing, I tried to sit on my bed, only to find that with the maneuvering gear on, it simply wouldn't work. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance, even though I greatly appreciated my cousin's gift, everything else I would have to deal with was starting to bite me in the butt, and I was getting grouchy.  
Social interaction, as I hope you've already realized, is not my forte. It's not that I don't like people, it's just hard for me to tolerate them; there are other things I could be doing instead of listening to your tedious monologue, and I don't particularly care about your social life (or lack thereof). The only exception to my annoyance is my little cousin, and I have yet to come up with a logical reason for why that is.  
And now, said cousin was forcing me to interact with other human beings, and I could already tell it wasn't going to end well. So instead of properly playing the game Melanie obviously wanted me to play, I grabbed my iPhone and earbuds, cleverly hiding the wires behind my hair so that anyone who wasn't quite literally breathing down my neck wouldn't notice them.  
I would be scolded for this later, and I didn't care.  
Spinning in place, I looked around my room to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I then grabbed the sword hilt from where it was hanging limply by my ankles, attaching a blade from the maneuvering gear, and pointing it at my mirror self.  
Don't question me.  
Playing with the faux mechanism, I pressed the trigger that wouldn't work. Melanie- no matter how much I knew she wanted to- wasn't able to make working trigger systems, or gas filtration tanks, or whatever the heck else made up the 3D Maneuvering Gear.  
So how, pray tell, did a wire shoot from the guns on my waist, through the window and into the tree in the front yard?  
I have no idea.  
What happened next was a blur.  
The wire, without any action on my part to make it do so, began retracting suddenly, knocking me off my feet and pulling me through the window. I tried to right myself in the air, but before I could even get one foot in front of me I was pulled into the tree, knocking me out.  
When I woke up, I was in a field of rolling hills, grass as far as the eye could see save for some small houses in the distance, and the giant stone wall behind me.  
_How had this happened?_

·«·V·»·

The bells were ringing in my ears, the slow grinding of the gate getting softer as our horses moved farther into town. People crowded around, some staring with admiration and others glaring daggers, and a continuous whisper followed the Scouting Regiment, insults and concerns and maybe the occasional fleeting praise.  
My green hood was pulled over my face, as it always was when we returned from expeditions. I kept my gaze on the back of my horse's neck, attempting to avoid all contact with the civilians and their harmful comments, while my downtrodden allies stared ahead tiredly. Unfortunately, ignorance could only do so much, as the entire procession was halted when an old woman ran out in front of Commander Shadis.  
"Moses... Moses!" the woman cried desperately, and my head snapped up. Was that..? "Beg your pardon... Where is my son? He should be with you all; oh please tell me he made it!" I gulped, already knowing the reply.  
The show had finally started.  
"I wish I had better news," Shadis replied stoically, turning to the wounded soldier beside him. "Give it to her."  
The woman staggered backwards, her distressed stare not wavering from Shadis's cold eyes, even as the wrapped up, blood-stained limb was placed in her arms. Unwrapping it hastily, she took one look at the bruised and battered arm before bursting into tears.  
"I'm sorry," Shadis began. "That's all that was left of him."  
The poor woman let out a wail, dining to get knees and cradling her late son's arm to her face. The commander followed hesitantly, balancing on his toes to try and look her in the eye.  
"H-he did good, yes? H-he was brave..." Commander Shadis's head snapped up, his pupils dilated as the woman looked him dead in the eye. "Tell me my son stood his ground to the bitter end... THAT HIS DEATH MEANT SOMETHING! TELL ME HIS SACRIFICE GAVE US A BETTER CHANCE!"  
Everything was silent, so much so that you could hear a pin drop.  
I was several rows behind the commander, as much in formation as I could be with half of my squad missing. Looking beside me, Squad Leader Hanji looked about as depressed as everyone else felt, slumped foreword on her horse and staring through her glasses, now stained with small tears.  
"Hanji," I whispered hoarsely. The brunette turned quickly, her eyes wide and bloodshot.  
"Victoria? What do you-"  
"Watch my horse." I silently slid down my black stallion's side, walking a few steps towards the bawling woman before something occurred to me, and I turned back to Hanji. "Please."  
"He was brave!" Shadis shouted back, his eyes dead. I was two rows away now, my cloak fluttering behind me. "But... his sacrifice meant nothing... so with all our losses... it's ever the same..." My throat was tight as I listened, frozen almost directly behind the commander. "THE DAY WAS LOST! WE HAVE NOTHING!"  
The woman looked broken.  
"YOUR SON DIED BECAUSE OF ME!"  
The crowd looked horrified.  
"I SENT HIM TO HIS DEATH!"  
Stop talking.  
"I SENT ALL OF THEM TO THEIR DEATHS!"  
Stop talking.  
"AND THERE'S NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT! IT ALL AMOUNTS TO NOTHING!"  
Stop talking goddammit!  
I gripped my commander's shoulder tightly, kneeling down next to him.  
"Sir." Shadis snapped out of his depressed trance, glaring up at me before standing and beckoning the troops foreword. Moses's mother was frozen in shock and despair, unable to move from the dusty road. "Ma'am, let me help you," I said blankly to her, gripping her shoulders and getting her on her feet. As I guided her to where the onlookers had formed a path, the frail old woman began to shake with tremors and sobs, and I was utterly lost on what to do. Going with my instinct, I rubbed circles in her back, and whispered to her, "Your son was a wonderful man. I didn't know him well, but when we did speak, he was always respectful, and kind. I regret not speaking with him more." Her tears were bitten back to the best of her ability, and apparently I was indeed actually helping. "And don't worry about what the commander said. He's just broken. But he'll fix himself eventually, and by then you'll have a whole new commander to want to stab in the gut."  
Looking behind me, I saw Hanji stopped with my horse, waiting somewhat impatiently. Turning back to the woman, I unclasped my green Survey Corps hood, wrapping it around the mother's shoulders and giving a small smile. "You should go home and get some rest. These next few days are going to be long ones." Too depressed to speak, the woman walked back in the general direction of her house, giving a half-hearted wave.  
I went back to my horse, where Hanji was giving me a look.  
"I thought you weren't good with people?" She asked, starring foreword in the march.  
"I'm not."  
The conversation was dropped, leaving room to hear the disapproving chatter from the crowd one again. I suddenly felt extremely nervous without my cloak, and I rubbed at my arms self-consciously.  
The procession made it about five steps before yet another cry rang out from the sidelines, this one seeming at least three times as desperate as the last, and twenty times as haunting for me.  
"VEE!" a voice rang out, strange yet familiar all at once. I stiffened, the hairs on the back of my neck rising, and my horse mimicking my movements and halting.  
"VEE!" it came again, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Was it really possible?  
Turning around on my horse, I saw what would have been a normal girl pushing through the crowd, had it not been for the painfully bright pink shade of her hair- which was completely impossible in this universe.  
"Let me through, bastards! Vee!" she screamed again, coming closer. I looked at her eyes, her whole face flashing in my memory to that of a cheery nine year old.  
"Do you know this kid?" Hanji asked me, stopping as well. I didn't answer, instead majestically falling off of my horse and scrambling to meet my cousin halfway.  
"Melanie!" I cried desperately, grabbing her in a hug. Closing my eyes, I held my little cousin to my chest, tears falling like rain, as I swore never to let her go again.

How was I here?

How was she here?

_How had this happened?_


End file.
